Nepal - Maoist student wing padlocks 50 schools in Phidim

PHIDIM: All Nepal National Independent Students’ Union-Revolutionary (ANNISU-R), student wing of the CPN-Maoist padlocked more than 50 boarding schools in Panchthar district today demanding immediate withdrawal of recent fee hikes. Earlier, the student union had submitted a memorandum to the Private and Boarding Schools’ Organisation Nepal (PABSON) to revoke its decision to hike fees at the schools.
According to the district Chairman of ANNISUR Rajan Khatiwada, the union padlocked schools in the district to pile pressure on PABSON to withdraw its decision. Khatiwada said that the PABSON’s unilateral decision to hike fees at schools has increased burden to the parents. The District Education Office, Panchthar also said that the fee hike is against the law. PABSON should first take permission of the Fee Monitoring Committee of the District Education Office before increasing fees in the schools, District Education Officer, Gyan Mani Nepal said. He further informed that the office has sent letters to the respective schools to return fees retrieved from parents after the hike.